# Besserwisser
## English
### Etymology

Borrowed from German Besserwisser.

### Noun

Besserwisser (plural Besserwissers)
* A know-it-all, wiseguy, wiseacre, smart aleck.
** 1973, Robert G. Collins, Kenneth McRobbie, The Eastern European Imagination in Literature, page 103:They are not Besserwissers; they just know better because they have had the experience. Capitalism has no lure for them, as socialism does for their West Central European counterparts.
** 1993, Ullica Segerstråle, Bringing the Scientist Back In, in the anthology Controversial science: from content to contention (Thomas Brante, Steve Fuller, William Lynch, editors):
    There is an authoritarian ring to many of the new approaches to the sociology of scientific knowledge, a Besserwisser attitude, whereby the sociologist knows best and does not need to consult with the object of his or her study.
** 1995, Gordon A. Craig, “Konrad Adenauer and the United States”, in Reiner Pommerin, editor, The American Impact on Postwar Germany, Berghahn Books, →ISBN, page 7:[…] that Adenauer was always a Besserwisser who was convinced that other people, even when they were heads of government in other countries, did not understand their own interests as well as he did […]
** 2006, Arvi Hurskainen, Lotta Harjula, Maaria Ylänkö, Africa in the long run: festschrift in the honour of Professor Arvi Hurskainen:The proverb functions as a warning to a ‘Besserwisser’, because at the end a ‘know-it-all’ will drive away even his or her best friends.

## German
### Etymology

Compound of besser (“better”) +‎ wissen (“know”) +‎ -er (“-er”), literally “better-knower”.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbɛsɐˌvɪsɐ/ (Germany, Austro-Bavarian)
* IPA: /ˈb̥ɛsːɐˌvɪsːɐ/ (Austro-Bavarian)
* IPA: /ˈb̥ɛsːərˌvɪsːər/ (Switzerland, Austro-Bavarian)
* Hyphenation: Bes‧ser‧wis‧ser
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

Besserwisser m (strong, genitive Besserwissers, plural Besserwisser, feminine Besserwisserin)
* (derogatory) know-it-all, wiseguy, wiseacre, smart aleck
    Synonyms: Klugscheißer, Schlaumeier, Oberschlauer, (Bavaria) Gscheidhaferl
    Er ist ein solcher Besserwisser, dass nicht einmal die Lehrer mit ihm diskutieren mögen.He’s such a know-it-all even the teachers don’t want to argue with him.
** 1905, Theodor Fontane, Zeus in Mission:Gewiß, die Deutschen, / Sie taugen auch nicht viel die lieben Schlingel, / Sind Besserwisser, knurrn und querulieren, / Und schreiben Bücher, drin sie mir beweisen: / Es sei nicht viel mit mir; im letzten Grunde / Bestünd’ ich nur durch Compromiß und Gnade.Certainly, the Germans / They are not good for much, the dear scoundrels, / They’re know-it-alls, they growl and groan, / And write books, in which they prove to me: / There’s not much to me; in the last instance / I’d consist only of compromise and grace.

#### Derived terms

* besserwisserisch
* Allesbesserwisser
* Besserwisserei
* Besserwessi

#### Related terms

* Alleswisser
* Nichtswisser

#### Descendants

* → English: Besserwisser
* → Finnish: besserwisser
* → Polish: besserwisser
* → Swedish: besserwisser

#### See also

* Alleskönner

### Further reading

* “Besserwisser” in Duden online
* “Besserwisser” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache